This invention relates to a cooking apparatus and method which greatly reduces the escape of cooking vapors from food being cooked in a pot, thereby reducing the residual smells and other deleterious effects of the oils and food particulates in such cooking vapors.
Conventional cooking methods generally require that water based products with oils and other food ingredients be boiled for proper cooking. The boiled-off water, oil residues, and solid food particulates often produce undesirable smells, not only in the kitchen but elsewhere in the vicinity of the cooking. The problem is particularly annoying in the home, but even more so in closely confined quarters, such as on submarines, Navy ships, and sailboats. The residues of cooking, though fine and hardly visible, can build up over time and cause staining as well as lingering odors on furniture, draperies, carpets, and clothing. In addition, the cooking residues promote mildew and bacterial growth, and make it difficult and sometimes unhealthy for many people to breathe in such a polluted environment.